The dermatological practice in the northwest of Frankfurt makes no secret of the fact that there are two types of people for it: health insurance patients and privately insured. Anyone who is a member of a statutory health insurance scheme – this applies to 90 percent of all Germans – must be tolerant of frustration: the practice, which is run by two young doctors, no longer accepts new patients at all. And for existing customers with statutory health insurance, there is no longer a single free appointment in the online booking system for the entire month of May. For June, July, August the calendar is not yet activated. Those who are privately insured, on the other hand, are welcome to come by on Monday.
Sebastian Balzter
Editor in the economy of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.
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The example is crass, but typical. The long wait for a specialist appointment is a nuisance for many health insurance patients. Some would love to be treated like a private patient. But firstly, the minimum income limit for admission to private health insurance is currently around 5000 euros per month. Secondly, there is a financial risk associated with the future evolution of contribution rates. And thirdly, it is very difficult to return to statutory health insurance at a later date if, for example, one's own life situation or priority list changes.
Card payment desired
Private patient for a day, that's it. Doesn't work? It's possible.
The Frankfurt dermatology practice even advertises it quite blatantly on the Internet. As "self-payers", it will also be the turn of patients with statutory health insurance as early as next week. Not on Monday, like the real privately insured, but at least on Tuesday. For probably between 75 and 150 euros, it says on the homepage. Depending on the effort, card payment is desired.
This is an option that not many patients take advantage of. It is tolerated rather than desired in the German health care system, which has been based on compulsory insurance since the time of Reich Chancellor Otto von Bismarck.
Cluelessness becomes expensive
This makes it all the more worthwhile to take a close look at their advantages and disadvantages. In principle, patients with statutory health insurance must first come to terms with the idea that doctors issue invoices at all. As a rule, people with statutory health insurance do not notice how much money their insurance company transfers to whom for which services. Except sometimes at the dentist.
As a self-payer, you should not afford this cluelessness. Otherwise, the excursion into the world of private medical services can be very expensive.
What physicians are allowed to bill privately is set out in detail in the schedule of fees for doctors, the current status of which can be accessed, for example, on the website of the Association of Private Health Insurances. At the top of this catalogue, which also applies to self-payers, is the service most frequently billed by doctors in private practice: "Advice, also by telephone – 4.66 euros".
Worthwhile additional effort
The fact that there is almost always a higher sum on the invoices is intentional. The specified basic fee is always multiplied by a factor, in jargon this means: increased. Private health insurance companies cover 2.3 times as much as standard. If the doctors justify an additional expense, they can bill the insurance companies up to 3.5 times.